Tuesday, October 14, 2008

My apologies for the lack of posting. I have been sick in bed with some bad cold or flue, drowning an enormous amount of NiQuil, DayQuil, and orange juice. That is what happens when you get sick, stay in bed, sleep, and watch TV. Of course, I've been following the campaign via the cable news shows, and the question I have to ask is, has anything really changed in the past five days? The Obama campaign continues in its smooth efficiency, while the McCain campaign self-destructs, then reboots, and then self-destructs again. I'm starting to wonder if there is anything more I can analyze on the McCain campaign that I haven't already said of their continued self-destruction again and again. It reminds me of a Star Trek: The Next Generation episode Cause and Effect, where the Enterprise goes through this space-time distortion of being destroyed. Here is Captain John McCain and the Starship Straight Talk Express, caught up in a space-time distortion of a failing U.S. war in Iraq, a financial crisis gripping the U.S. economy, and a bagful of useless, hateful, fear-mongering tricks showing Barack Obama as being the bogyman.

Several things about John McCain’s Monday caused some head scratching, including the tease of some new economic policies to a town hall meeting with no Q&A.

It began with McCain’s close friend Sen. Lindsey Graham who said McCain would propose new tax policies this week. Yet Monday brought two stump speeches with no new economic proposals. Instead, McCain reiterated what he’s been saying for weeks.

A conference call with the campaign provided little guidance. It seems Monday was all about unveiling a new stump speech, according to campaign spokesman Brian Rogers.

On Tuesday, McCain will outline “specific new measures,” according to Doug Holtz-Eakin, the campaign’s economic policy director, on a conference call with reporters. He declined to elaborate any further, saying only, “We just need to look forward to hearing from him.”

Then came the event in Wilmington, N.C., held at — irony alert!– Cape Fear Community College. McCain stood in front of the crowd and said he would take questions or comments after he delivered his remarks. He finished his prepared speech and tacked on a longtime stump story about the bracelet he wears. But then the music and handshaking began. No questions or comments to be heard—at least those directed at the senator. “I thought this was a town hall meeting?” a man asked the press corps.

To cap off the day, McCain tried channeling Clark Gable. During an interview with CNN, reporter Dana Bash asked about McCain’s attacks on Barack Obama, including the Democrat’s relationship with Bill Ayers, the 1960s radical turned college professor.

“Very frankly, Dana, I don’t give a damn about an old unrepentant terrorist,” McCain said.

Here we go again--another space-time distortion destroying the Starship Straight Talk Express. First, the McCain campaign announces this big economic plan that John McCain will present on Monday. Monday comes by, and nothing happens. Starship Straight Talk Express explodes. Then Tuesday, the campaign announces that McCain will outline “specific new measures,” without saying what those measures would be. Starship Straight Talk Express explodes again. Then, John McCain holds a rally at Cape Fear Community College, giving his stump speech and saying that he would answer questions from the audience. After the speech, McCain forgets that he promised the audience an impromptu town hall meeting, and instead, starts shaking hands with the audience. Starship Straigh Talk Express explodes yet again. Finally, McCain talks to CNN's Dana Bash about the McCain campaign's negative attacks against Barack Obama by linking Obama with Bill Ayers, the 1960s Weatherman terrorist. Captain John McCain responds that he doesn't "give a damn about an old unrepentant terrorist." The Starship Straight Talk Express explodes yet again.

I wonder what is going to happen today with the Starship Straight Talk Express?